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Thera 5.9: Vijitasena
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(206):Vijitasena Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter V. Five Verses =206. Vijitasena= Reborn in this Buddha-age in a Kosalan elephant-trainers' family, he was named Vijitasena. His maternal uncles, Sena and Upasena,1 had both entered the Monk’s order and become arahants(enlightened ones), when Vijitasena, after learning the craft of his folk, saw the twin-miracle2 of the Lord(Buddha), believed, and being naturally of a religious disposition, entered the Monk’s order under his uncles. Training by their instructions he rose into the avenue of insight, but his mind remaining discursive through various external objects, he addressed it: ---- 355 Olaggessāmi te citta āṇidvāreva hatthinaɱ,|| Na taɱ pāpe niyojessaɱ kāmajāla sarīraja.|| || 356 Tvaɱ 40 olaggo na gacchasi dvāravivaraɱ gajo'va alabhanto,|| Na ca cittakali punappunaɱ pasahaɱ pāparato carissasi.|| || 357 Yathā kuñjaraɱ madantaɱ navaggahamaŋkusallaho,|| Balavā āvatteti akāmaɱ evaɱ āvattayissaɱ taɱ.|| || 358 Yathā varahayadamakusalo sārathi pavaro dameti ājaññaɱ,|| Evaɱ damayissaɱ taɱ patiṭṭhito pañcasu balesu.|| || 359 Satiyā taɱ nabandhissaɱ payatatto vodapessāmi,|| Viriyadhuraniggahito na niyato dūraɱ gamissase cittā' ti.|| || ---- 355 I will restrain you, mind, as elephants Are by the towngate's sallyport3 kept back. I'll not abet you in your naughty ways, You net of wishes, you of body born. 356 Not your it will be, thus checked, to go at large. As elephant that wins not through the gate, Struggle your best, you witch,4 again, again; You shall not roam, who are to sin so glad. 357 Even as one who firmly wields the hook Did turn the unbroken, untamed elephant Against its will, so will I turn you back. 201 358 As the good driver, in horsebreaking skilled, Did tame the mettle of the thoroughbred, So will I bring you too beneath control. By virtue of the fivefold spiritual force. 359 Yes, by right meditative attentiveness I'll bind you fast, Myself restrained, so will I Lord(Buddha) you. Curbed in the harness of right energy, You shall not, O my heart, go far from me.5 ---- Thus restraining his thoughts did the Thera expand insight and win arahantship(enlightenment). ---- 1 Not the brother of Sariputta (CCXXXVIII.). Neither uncle is met with elsewhere. 2 See XXXI. 3 = Khuddaka-dvāraŋ, or low, little door (Commentary). 4 = Citta-Kālakaṇṇī. I take pasahaṇ as pasahanto, 'using force. The Br. Cy. reads pasanga, paraphrasing by saraṇa-saŋpassāsavasena. Cf. the S. MS. in Dr. Oldenberg's note, p. 40. 5 This is the second of the three poems conceived in this vein - namely, of a better self attempting to control the mutinies of older runregenerate impulses. Cf. LXXVII. and CCLXII. ---- =5.9 206 Commentary on the stanza of Vījitasenatthera= The stanza starting with Olaggessāmi constitutes that of the venerable thera Vijitaseṇa. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating good deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Atthadassī; on having attained the age of intellignece, he gave up his household life, renounced the world by becoming a hermit recluse and was living in the forest, when he happened to have seen the Blessed One going through the sky, became pious-minded and stood raising his clasped hands showing the manner of his pleasing piety. The Master, having come to know his intention, descended from the sky. He offered deliciously sweet fruits to the Blessed One who accepted his offering out of compasion for him. On account of that act of merit he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in the family of elephant trainers (hatthācariya) in the kingdom of Kosala, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Vijitasena,he attained the age of intelligence.His uncles, Sena and Upasena, who were two elephant-masters, listened to the teaching of the truth (dhamma) in the presence of the Master, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, did their ordinary duties of the elementary stage of saintliness (vāsa dhura) in full and attained Arahantship. Vijitasena also reached proficiency in the elephant training (sippa), but, because of his bent (ajjhāsaya) on escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (nissaraṇa), his mind got detached from household life and he became a monk in the presence of the theras’ who were his uncles, having aptly gaine pious faith after he had seen the twin-miracle of the Master; doing the deed of developing spiritual insight according to the instruction and advice of his uncles, had himself clung (laṅghitvā) to the path of spiritual insight (vipassanā) and spoke stanzas in order to advise his own mind which was running about amongst several sense-objects (ārammaṇa) outside (bahiddhā). 355. “O Mind! I shall keep you under control similar to what I did with elephants at the needle gate. I shall not keep you engaged in evil; O you born of body, the net of sensual pleasures! 356. “You will not go (now, as you like); since you have now been kept under restraint; resembling the elephant not gaining the open-door, you will not be allowed to wander about as before, O ill-omened mind! You who had enjoyed yourself in the doing of evil deed, again and again under the influence of not seeing refuge for yourself (pasakkā). 367. “Just as the goad holder, possessed of vigour, wins over the newly captured wild elephant against its will (akāmaṃ), in the same manner I shall win you over. 358. According as an excellent charioteer, well clever in taming horses, tames the the thorough-bred, in the same manner, having become established in the five forms of vigour, I shall subdue you. 359. “O mind! I shall bind you down with my awareness (sati); having become intent on taming, I shall subdue you. Since you are held down under the burden of my exertion, you will not go far from here. There, olaggesasāmi means: I shall control, I shall restrain. Te means: you (taṃ); this genetive case-word is indeed in the sense of the accusative case (upayoga). In other words, there is the remaining expression in “Te gamanaṃ, your going.” Hatthinaṃ means: the elephant (hatthiṇ); thus, is the meaning. Citta means: he addresses his own mind as O mind! According as he was desirious of restraining it, he said: “Āṇidvār’eva hatthinam,” in order to show it. The small gate of the city enclosed by a wall is known as a small door (āṇidvāra); when a bowl (ghatikā) like hole (chidda) is thrown (pakkhitta) into the small door (Āṇi), it is not possible to open it for those who are stationed (ṭhita) right within, without a machine (yanta); since it is not possible for men, oxen, buffaloes and so on to go out, the elephant master (hatthācariyo) did not allow (nivāresi) the elephant who was desirour of going out of the city after having had it coaxed (palobhetvā) from the same (yato). I other words, a hindrance (paligha) door (dvāra) is a small gate (āṇidvara). Indeed there, after having placed an obstacle (paligha) across (tiriyaṃ)after having placed an obstacle (paligha) across (tiriyaṃ) they fix on it (āvuṇanti) a linch-pin (āṇiṃ) reckoned as tree-needly (rukkhasūci). Pāpe means: such evil deeds as the spung up (uppajjanaka) covetousness (abhijjhā) and so on invisible forms (rūpe) etc.; taṃ na niyojessaṃ means: I shall not urge (niyojissāmi). Kāmajāla means: O you who have become the net work (jāla) of sensual pleasures (kāma). Indeed, according as the net of fish catchers (bandha) and deer hunters bring about result in doing according to their desire (kāma) to fishes and so on, in the same manner, the mind which is made to fall in conformity with unwise mindfulness (ayonisomanasikāra) becomes the bringer about the result in doing according to the desire of Māra. Indeed, on that account, he makes living beings fall into disadvantages (anattha). Saritaja means: O you who spring up (uppajjanaka) in bodies (sarīresu). Indeed, in the existence of five constituents of beings (khandha), mind has been said to be “Sarīraja (bodily product),” owing to its having the habit of being dependent upon the physical form (rūpapaṭibaddhavutti). Tvaṃ olaggo na gacchasi means: O ill-omen (kali) mind! Having been restrained (varito) by me with such driving (patoda) goods (aṅkusa) as awareness (sati) and wisdom (paññā) you will not go now according as you wish (yatharacim); you will not get the chance of functioning (vattituṃ) according as you went by way of unwise mindfulness (ayoniso manasikāra). According as what? Dvāravivaram gajo va alabhanto means: according as an elephant not gaining the opening of the gate (dvāravivarakaṃ) for its going out either from the city or from the site of suppression of elephants (gajanirodha). Cittakali means: O ill-luck mind! Punappunaṃ means: now and again (aparāparaṇ). Pasakkā means: by having no association with (or by not attending upon) the good seeing (sampassa) of refuges (saraṇa). Pāparato means: ever enjoying in the doing of evil deeds as you did formerly; na carissasi means: you will not do now; I shall not allow you to behave likewise; thus, is the meaning. Adantaṃ means: unsubdued (adamitaṃ); not trained as an elephant should be tamed. Navaggahaṃ means: captured not long ago (aciragahitaṃ); aṅkusagaho means: an elephant-master (hatthācariyo). Balava means: possessed of such strength as the strength of the body and the strength of knowledge. Āvatteti akāmaṃ means: he makes (the elephant) turn away (nivatteti) from the point of view of prohibition (nisedhana) but without its desiring it (anicchantaṃ). Evaṃ āvattayissaṃ means: according as the elphant master according as has been said, in the same manner, I shall make that mind, the mind of ill-luck turn away (nivattayissāmi) by way of prohibitting it from wicked conduct (duccarita). Varahayadamakusalo means: clever (kusalo) in taming (damane) the work of taming most excellent horses. Sārathi pavaro means: even superior to that and eminent (visiṭṭho) amongst the charioteers who tame horses; dameti ājaññaṃ means: he tames, disciplines (vineti) and makes submissive (nibbisevanaṃ) gently (saṇha) and harshly (pharusa) in conformity with the place and time (desakākānurūpaṃ) in taming the thorough-bred horse. Patiṭṭhito pañcasu balesu means: having become established in such five forms of strength as pious faith (saddhā) and so on, taṃ damayissaṃ means I shall subdue you by way of prohibitting you from disbelief (assaddhiya) and so on; thus, is the meaning. Satiyā taṃ nibandhissaṃ means: O mind of ill-luck! I shall bind you down (nibandhissāmi) and keep you under my control (niyamessāmi) by means of the rope (yotta) of mental awareness (sati) at the pillar of mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna thambha) without allowing (adento) you to go outside the interior of pasture (gocarajjhatta). Payutto te damessami means: I shall subdue (damessami) you after having become intent upon (yuttappayutto) but binding you down (nibandhanto) there; I shall purely cleanse you from the impurities of self-depravity (saṃkilesa). Viriyadhura niggahito means: according as the said horse having been kept under control by means of the yoke (yuganiggahito) and made to go into the yoke (yugantaragato) by the clever excellent charioteer does not go beyong that yoke, in the same manner, O mind! You also having been kept under control (niggahito) at the responsibility (dhura) of my exertion (vīriya) not being allowed (alabhanto) to function (vattituṃ) otherwise (aññathā) than to do what is to be done truthfully (sātacca), you will not go outside far from here, the interior of pasture (gocarajjhatta). Indeed, to one who is continously engaged (anuyutta) in the development of meditation (bhāvanā) anything other then mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) even the near matter (āsannaṃ) is but something afar (dura) from the point of view of sigh (lakkhaṇa); thus, the thera keeping his own nind but under control (niggaṇhanto) by means of these stanzas in this manner, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “On having seen the self-awakened Buddha of golden complexion, endowed with thirty two excellent marks (lakkhaṇā) going on top of the wood similar to the flowering Sal tree, I had a grass- spread prepared and made my request to Buddha, the best: May Buddha have compassion for me; I desire to donate alms-food. Buddha Atthadassī, full of fame, sympathy and mercy, having come to know my intention, descended down to my hermitage. Having descended, the self-awakened Buddha sat down on the leaf-spread. Having procures marking nut (bhallā- taka), I offered it to Buddha, the best. The Conqueror then partook of that nut, while I was reflecting upon (that charity of mine). Making my mind piously pleased with it I then paid my homage to the Conqueror. It was eighteen hundred aeons (kappa) ago, that I then made my offering of fruit; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of (my) fruit offering. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke these stanzas in order to reveal his arahship. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vijitasena is complete. ----